Ronan School District #30

Ronan, Montana

Error processing SSI file

Categories	À la carte foods and beverages; Make more healthful foods and beverages available
Problem Overview	1,352 students on the Flathead Indian Reservation 64 percent of students eligible for free and reduced-price school meals
Program/Activity Description	Before the inception of the Department of Defense (DoD) Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Purchasing Program, middle and high school students who participated in the Breakfast Program took fruit only 10 to 20 percent of the time, whereas elementary students ate fruit 70 percent of the time. Older students, who wanted their food “to go” since they rarely had time to sit and eat, did not like the canned fruits eaten by the younger children. The food service staff decided to address this issue by providing more options. Fresh fruit is served every morning, either as whole fruit (apples, oranges, bananas) or in a 4-ounce soufflé cup (kiwi, pineapple, pears). Fruit is arranged in baskets or on baking sheets. Special care is taken to ensure that the fruit is attractively arranged using different colors and shapes. Fruit that turns brown when cut and exposed to air (e.g., apples and pears) is dipped in a solution to maintain its fresh appearance longer. At lunchtime, Ronan added a third service line for students with a reimbursable meal in the à la carte format. This line is designed to better serve the high percentage of Ronan students who qualify for free and reduced-price meals and provide them with the same opportunity that other students have to enjoy the à la carte program. The new option gave students an extra incentive to stay on campus to eat. In the Afterschool Snack Program, children are provided with a snack during the “power hour” when students read or study. Afterschool menus are varied, but 100% juice or 1% milk is offered almost every day. Student favorites include frozen yogurt, homemade chocolate chip muffins, pretzels with a peanut butter cup, homemade banana bread, branded peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and apple wedges with cheese sticks. Ronan’s Afterschool Snack Program relies on a balance of no-cost, low-cost, and high-cost items to control expenses. Ronan uses commodities whenever possible, including fresh fruits and vegetables, salsa, trail mix, and peanut butter. Banana bread and homemade muffins are also low-cost options, especially when leftover bananas and commodity flour are used. Using lower-cost items makes it possible to provide some higher-priced favorites such as the branded peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The Ronan School District encourages the community to become involved with the Afterschool Snack Program by having special events that include parents, teachers, and other interested community members. These events raise community awareness and support for the program. The Afterschool Snack Program allows the district to provide children with essential nutrition to get through the long wait from lunch to dinner. It also offers sustenance to the many students who might not otherwise receive a balanced meal after their school lunch.
Program/Activity Outcome	By using commodity food dollars to purchase fruits and vegetables through the DoD Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Purchasing Program, Ronan schools have been able to offer a wide variety of nutritious options to elementary, middle, and high school students. A fresh fruit bar at breakfast and a salad bar at lunch are now served daily at the middle and high schools. Ronan students, especially those in middle and high school, have dramatically increased their fresh fruit and vegetable intake. After signing up for the program, Ronan schools initially received small amounts of produce, but they have increased their orders as demand by students has increased. The students are very enthusiastic about the changes. For example, since the inception of the breakfast fruit bar, participation in the Breakfast Program has increased about 10 percent (a total of 300 to 475 students eat breakfast daily). The number of students taking fruit each day has increased from around 25 to around 150, with middle and high school students accounting for most of the increase. Recent improvements in the cafeteria serving line allow students to select their own food. Allowing students this freedom of choice has decreased average daily food waste from 30 percent to 10 percent. Because of the high percentage of free and reduced-price meals, the Afterschool Snack Program is free to all students in Ronan schools, and approximately 150 to 200 children participate each day. Healthful snacks— such as 1% milk, yogurt, cheese, apple wedges, and banana bread—are now offered daily.
Story Highlights	Keys to Success: USDA program: Ability to use commodity dollars for fruits and vegetables Customer focus: Involving the students in the changes, asking for their input, and providing them with the opportunity to make their own choices Staff support: Encouragement and support from administrators and teachers
Words of Wisdom	"Use what is given to you the best way that you can. Children eat with their eyes, so provide foods that are colorful and fun for them. Serve fresh fruits and vegetables in a way that children will enjoy them." — Marsha Wartick, Food Service Supervisor
Program Contact	Marsha Wartick

Page last reviewed: February 27, 2013
Page last updated: February 27, 2013
Error processing SSI file